Hi my name is RaiAnn and I will be a junior (11th grader) this year at Algonquin Regional High School. I was born in Birmingham, Alabama, but currently live in Southborough, Massachusetts. Though I do not know what I would like to pursue in the future, I know I have an interest in science and specifically in biology. In my free time, I compete in gymnastics and pole vault. This year, I finished second in the state for gymnastics and tenth in the state for pole vault.
The Zika virus was first found in Uganda in 1947. It originally appeared in the blood of a rhesus monkey and showed up later in the same forest. Scientists later identified Aedes mosquitos as the carriers for the disease. Since then, there have been limited outbreaks in Africa and Southeast Asia. At first its symptoms included headache, fever, rash, bloodshot eyes, and other mild symptoms. However this symptoms began to mutate into more serious effects such as Guillain - Barre syndrome, a dangerous autoimmune dysfunction, and eventually into microcephaly in the babies of mothers who were infected with Zika while pregnant. Scientists wondered why the Zika virus, a partially dormant virus for almost half a century, would create such a large outbreak affecting North and South America, Africa, Asia, etc. It was discovered by comparing the previous strain of Zika and the newer outbreak that the NS1 gene was responsible for the outbreak. The NS1 gene boosted Zika ability to hop into mosquitos. Scientists began to develop multiple solutions to the Zika virus many involving genetic modification to prevent the spread of zika.
Wolbachia
Wolbachia, a harmless bacteria, can transform the host that it lives in. It can be found in a majority of the insects. Scientists have discovered that in mosquitoes with Wolbachia, viruses such as Zika, dengue, yellow fever, and chikungunya can not replicate inside the mosquito. Because of the Wolbachia competition for resources inside of the cell, the virus loses, and instead stops replication . In addition, Wolbachia is a naturally reoccuring organism therefore inserting Wolbachia would not be considered genetic engineering and does not affect the ecosystem.
Gamma Irradiation
Developed in Brazil, one project proposed to produce sterile male mosquitoes through gamma cell irradiation. Gamma irradiation uses Cobalt 60 which emits gamma rays during radioactive decay which breaks covalent bonds of bacterial DNA. This method prevents females from reproducing and eventually dying out. In other cases, researchers have succeeded in reducing the populations of moths, screwworms, fruit flies, etc. However without the release of a substantial amount of mosquitoes back into the population, only a very small effect can be observed.
OX513A
OX513A is the name of the project genetically engineered male mosquitoes in order to allow the to pass on a lethal gene to kill the offspring of females. This mosquito made made by injecting two types of synthetic DNA. The first is a coral fluorescent marker and the other is a harmless E. Coli bacteria engineered to contain a virus, Herpes simplex virus, which creates the tTAV protein. The tTAV protein interferes in cell activity and kills the infected mosquito before adulthood.
Gene Drives
Using CRISPR/Cas 9 method scientist can insert a helpful gene in order to replace the harmful gene in the organism's genome. It is a more effective method to change in organisms genome because gene drives have the ability to copy the mutated gene into all of the next generation. In comparison, genetic modified mutations only pass on the mutated gene to half of the next generation thus allowing the mutation to live in low frequency. In the case of the Zika virus, the Cas9 protein splices the gene that might interfere with the mosquito’s ability to live a long life, reproduce, or transmit disease. This method is also being used in mosquitos that carry the malaria parasite and to deactivate egg production.
Concerns/Morals
In the public, people express concern for using GMOs in fear of irreversible ecological and environmental effects of the organisms. Countries such as the EU and Japan have banned growing GMOs. Because of failures in the past of pesticides, such as DDT, public fear of human advancement in nature has grown. Though the FDA has approved the safety of genetically modified mosquitoes, many citizens have been trying to reject them in fear of adverse effects. However over time the results can be reversed and specifically gene drives can be reversed by inserting the previous unwanted gene back into the system.
DESIGN PROJECT: DROUGHT FRIENDLY PLANTS
Background:
Since the 1950’s droughts have increased steadily. With changing sea surface temperatures, land precipitation have decreased. Not only has it directly affected the water source of the plants, but drought have also induced drought stress which reduces leaf size, stem extension, and root proliferation; all of which disrupts plant water relations and water use efficiency. In combination with the growing population size and decreasing amount of water, growing grains has increased in difficulty because of their need for water. Most of the population rely on grains that have high water usages such as corn, rice, wheat, etc. In fact 35%-45% of the world’s irrigation system goes to rice alone. In order for these demands to be satisfied, scientists must create a more environmentally friendly plant to feed more people.
Design
Roots in the rice plants are mainly used for storing large reserves of food and are moderately long. To improve the sustainability of the rice can be to deepen the root of the rice. A similar plant known as poison ivy has been modified to have much longer roots therefore can reach for more water. The DRO1 gene has been recently discovered to increase the root depth of plant allowing it to reach more water and become more self sustainable in a drought. Another method can be to decrease the stomata size on the bottom of the plants. Stomata often releases water vapor and CO2 into the environment. During the time of a drought it would be favorable for the rice plant to close its stomata in order to release less water vapor back into the environment. So as a reaction to an unfavorable environment the plant would react by closing their stomata. In addition, researchers have found the Arabidopsis HARDY gene which has an effect increasing photosynthesis which subsequently increases the efficiency of water usage. Increasing the expression of the HARDY gene would also reduce transpiration and possibly less stress under drought environments.
Conclusion:
Grains have become a staple for the human diet and it is necessary to find a way to produce them sustainably. Modified plants are necessary in order to grow a safe future. With the research done on rice, the information can be used to improve the modifications of other plants and grains such as wheat, corn, tomatoes, and other produce.
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1-J22RKyGT1_TqZOd5WFqHzYbF16B2MFf2xCQ2gV18QE/edit#slide=id.p
Biological Research Final Project
GENETIC EDITING IN MOSQUITOS
Background:
The Zika virus was first found in Uganda in 1947. It originally appeared in the blood of a rhesus monkey and showed up later in the same forest. Scientists later identified Aedes mosquitos as the carriers for the disease. Since then, there have been limited outbreaks in Africa and Southeast Asia. At first its symptoms included headache, fever, rash, bloodshot eyes, and other mild symptoms. However this symptoms began to mutate into more serious effects such as Guillain - Barre syndrome, a dangerous autoimmune dysfunction, and eventually into microcephaly in the babies of mothers who were infected with Zika while pregnant. Scientists wondered why the Zika virus, a partially dormant virus for almost half a century, would create such a large outbreak affecting North and South America, Africa, Asia, etc. It was discovered by comparing the previous strain of Zika and the newer outbreak that the NS1 gene was responsible for the outbreak. The NS1 gene boosted Zika ability to hop into mosquitos. Scientists began to develop multiple solutions to the Zika virus many involving genetic modification to prevent the spread of zika.
Wolbachia
Wolbachia, a harmless bacteria, can transform the host that it lives in. It can be found in a majority of the insects. Scientists have discovered that in mosquitoes with Wolbachia, viruses such as Zika, dengue, yellow fever, and chikungunya can not replicate inside the mosquito. Because of the Wolbachia competition for resources inside of the cell, the virus loses, and instead stops replication . In addition, Wolbachia is a naturally reoccuring organism therefore inserting Wolbachia would not be considered genetic engineering and does not affect the ecosystem.
Gamma Irradiation
Developed in Brazil, one project proposed to produce sterile male mosquitoes through gamma cell irradiation. Gamma irradiation uses Cobalt 60 which emits gamma rays during radioactive decay which breaks covalent bonds of bacterial DNA. This method prevents females from reproducing and eventually dying out. In other cases, researchers have succeeded in reducing the populations of moths, screwworms, fruit flies, etc. However without the release of a substantial amount of mosquitoes back into the population, only a very small effect can be observed.
OX513A
OX513A is the name of the project genetically engineered male mosquitoes in order to allow the to pass on a lethal gene to kill the offspring of females. This mosquito made made by injecting two types of synthetic DNA. The first is a coral fluorescent marker and the other is a harmless E. Coli bacteria engineered to contain a virus, Herpes simplex virus, which creates the tTAV protein. The tTAV protein interferes in cell activity and kills the infected mosquito before adulthood.
Gene Drives
Using CRISPR/Cas 9 method scientist can insert a helpful gene in order to replace the harmful gene in the organism's genome. It is a more effective method to change in organisms genome because gene drives have the ability to copy the mutated gene into all of the next generation. In comparison, genetic modified mutations only pass on the mutated gene to half of the next generation thus allowing the mutation to live in low frequency. In the case of the Zika virus, the Cas9 protein splices the gene that might interfere with the mosquito’s ability to live a long life, reproduce, or transmit disease. This method is also being used in mosquitos that carry the malaria parasite and to deactivate egg production.
Concerns/Morals
In the public, people express concern for using GMOs in fear of irreversible ecological and environmental effects of the organisms. Countries such as the EU and Japan have banned growing GMOs. Because of failures in the past of pesticides, such as DDT, public fear of human advancement in nature has grown. Though the FDA has approved the safety of genetically modified mosquitoes, many citizens have been trying to reject them in fear of adverse effects. However over time the results can be reversed and specifically gene drives can be reversed by inserting the previous unwanted gene back into the system.
DESIGN PROJECT: DROUGHT FRIENDLY PLANTS
Background:
Since the 1950’s droughts have increased steadily. With changing sea surface temperatures, land precipitation have decreased. Not only
has it directly affected the water source of the plants, but drought have also induced drought stress which reduces leaf size, stem extension, and root proliferation; all of which disrupts plant water relations and water use efficiency. In combination with the growing population size and decreasing amount of water, growing grains has increased in difficulty because of their need for water. Most of the population rely on grains that have high water usages such as corn, rice, wheat, etc. In fact 35%-45% of the world’s irrigation system goes to rice alone. In order for these demands to be satisfied, scientists must create a more environmentally friendly plant to feed more people.
Design
Roots in the rice plants are mainly used for storing large reserves of food and are moderately long. To improve the sustainability of the rice can be to deepen the root of the rice. A similar plant known as poison ivy has been modified to have much longer roots therefore can reach for more water. The DRO1 gene has been recently discovered to increase the root depth of plant allowing it to reach more water and become more self sustainable in a drought. Another method can be to decrease the stomata size on the bottom of the plants. Stomata often releases water vapor and CO2 into the environment. During the time of a drought it would be favorable for the rice plant to close its stomata in order to release less water vapor back into the environment. So as a reaction to an unfavorable environment the plant would react by closing their stomata. In addition, researchers have found the Arabidopsis HARDY gene which has an effect increasing photosynthesis which subsequently increases the efficiency of water usage. Increasing the expression of the HARDY gene would also reduce transpiration and possibly less stress under drought environments.
Conclusion:
Grains have become a staple for the human diet and it is necessary to find a way to produce them sustainably. Modified plants are necessary in order to grow a safe future. With the research done on rice, the information can be used to improve the modifications of other plants and grains such as wheat, corn, tomatoes, and other produce.
Sources:
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/01/160128-zika-virus-birth-defects-brian-damage-history-science/
https://phys.org/news/2017-05-gene-revolution-safeguards-engagement.htm
lhttps://arstechnica.com/science/2017/05/this-one-mutation-may-explain-why-zika-exploded-in-the-americas/
http://www.biopharminternational.com/understanding-gamma-sterilization
http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/07/health/zika-virus-gmo-mosquito/index.html
http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2016/11/20/502717253/florida-keys-approves-trial-of-genetically-modified-mosquitoes-to-fight-zika
http://irri.org/blogs/bas-bouman-s-blog-global-rice-science-partnership/does-rice-really-use-too-much-water
http://12.000.scripts.mit.edu/mission2017/genetically-modified-crops/
http://www.pnas.org/content/104/39/15270.abstract